Parents call on Wolf to regulate methane

Katie Meyer

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Katie Meyer was WITF’s Capitol Bureau Chief from 2016-2020. While at WITF, she covered all things state politics for public radio stations throughout Pennsylvania. Katie came to Harrisburg by way of New York City, where she worked at Fordham University’s public radio station, WFUV, as an anchor, general assignment reporter, and co-host of an original podcast. A 2016 graduate of Fordham, she earned several awards for her work at WFUV, including four 2016 Gracies.

Katie is a native New Yorker, though she originally hails from Troy, a little farther up the Hudson River. She can attest that the bagels are still pretty good there.

WITF's Capitol Bureau Chief Desk is partially funded through generous gifts made in the memory of Tony May through the Anthony J. May Memorial Fund.

For more information about Tony May, click here.

October 14, 2016 | 9:42 AM

Katie Meyer/ WITF

Children sat on the steps of the Capitol rotunda as their parents talked about the effects of methane on their communities.

A group of parents from around Pennsylvania is urging Governor Tom Wolf to regulate methane emissions.
They held a conference in the State Capitol Thursday, flanked by their children, whom they say are affected most harshly by pollution caused by the state’s oil and gas industry.
The governor promised in January that oil and gas regulations would be introduced this year. His methane-reduction plan would require companies to use the best technology available to prevent leaks of the powerful greenhouse gas at their work sites.
The state Department of Environmental protection also said it would develop comprehensive rules to cut down on leaks in existing machinery.
However, none of those regulations have been implemented yet.
Lois Bower-Bjornson said at her home in Washington County, the lack of regulation is taking a toll.
“Everything from smells, to killing of the trees, to certain things in the grass…it goes on and on,” she said.
A meeting where some of the regulations were supposed to be introduced was recently cancelled–the third such delay. In a statement, the Wolf administration said implementation of any major initiative takes time. It added that the DEP plans to release the updated regulations “in the coming months.”